Our Story
In 2014, six friends from Minnesota randomly moved to Hawai'i for a year to escape cold winters and enjoy island life. On Sunday nights they ate pancakes and studied the Bible together. They began inviting friends and people off the streets of Waikiki and this “Pancake Night” accidentally turned into the beginnings of a church.
In 2008, Brady, one of the six, sensed God calling him to be a pastor while attending a Bible camp. Brady didn’t want to be a pastor, but couldn’t forget this call no matter how hard he tried.
Calling met opportunity for Brady when “Pancake Night” grew and God gave him the vision for this church. This is when God began to change his heart to accept the call to be a pastor and to start the Waikiki Beach Gathering.
In 2016, Brady moved back to Oahu and planted this new church with a few friends meeting at a picnic table in the Kapiolani Park section of Waikiki Beach.
The Gathering has grown since the picnic table days through the help of many mission-minded helpers and leaders. We thank and praise God for how he has blessed our ministry and we are excited for what’s to come. This is only the beginning!
Pastor Brady Arneson
Brady loves the Gathering and the people of Hawai'i. He is passionate about sharing the simple gospel of Jesus through being real and relaxed. He desires to inspire Christians out of their comfort zones and equip them to use their spiritual gifts. He enjoys surfing south shore with friends and cliff jumping waterfall hikes. Brady plays drums on the worship team and plays in the Honolulu Baseball League. He also works at The Modern Honolulu and Sheraton Waikiki hotels. You may see Brady walking around Waikiki with his wife Bethany. Say hi!
Brady has graduated from the Free Lutheran Bible College with a Certificate in Biblical Studies, the University of Northwestern with a Bachelor's in Electronic Media Communication and Business Administration, and Liberty University with a Master's of Divinity in Christian Leadership and Church Ministries.
Leadership Team Member
Mikah Olson
Mikah loves living in Hawaii and being a part of the Gathering. Mikah visited Oahu in 2018 and fell in love with the Gathering. He moved to Hawaii in 2020 after getting a certificate in Biblical Studies from the Free Lutheran Bible College in Minnesota. He is passionate about meeting people where they’re at and breaking down the walls that keep people from knowing Jesus.
He works as a Medical Sales Case Manager in the Ala Moana Medical Building. He enjoys spending his time at the gym with his roommates, at the beach, or on a hike. He has served as the Gathering’s Food Team and Security Team Leader in the past and loves to help out whenever and wherever he can. He is super stoked to step up as a Leadership Team Member and grow into his role as he helps others grow as well.
Leadership Team Member
Jack Jordan
Jack has been a Christian all his life, growing up in a small town in the midwest. He loves to study God’s Word to learn as much as he can. One place that really helped him learn a lot is the Free Lutheran Bible College which he graduated from a few years ago. At that place, God first gave Jack a desire to serve at the Waikiki Beach Gathering!
Jack enjoys learning about and experiencing different cultures. God blessed Jack by allowing him to visit a couple different cultures on two mission trips where he taught and learned more about God.
In his free time Jack likes to be active, run, read, write and push his limits for everything! Jack has a deep love for the universal language God gave us called music. He love movies, the ocean, and practicing photography, cooking, and baking. Jack currently work as a prep cook.
Jack loves to talk about the Bible and listen to different opinions about the Bible. By the will of God Jack has been the Sound Team Leader of the Gathering for a little over 2 years. Jack has served on almost every serving team and loves to help!
Treasurer
Callie Peterson
Callie has been attending the Gathering since February 2022! The open environment and simple teachings of Jesus is what encouraged Callie to keep coming back to the Gathering and make it her church home.
She is originally from Dallas, Texas. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Arkansas and her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. Through her college experience she learned about Polynesian culture and that’s what led her to move to Oahu! Callie loves hanging at the beach with friends, going thrifting, and working with kids!
Secretary
Mackenzie Storhaug
Since moving to Hawaiʻi in 2020 to serve at the Waikiki Beach Gathering Mackenzie has loved being a part of the church and everything it represents. She has a passion for talking about our purpose in life and loves having real, authentic conversations about Jesus. She has also led and served on the Photo and Video Team since 2020, and gets to capture and share powerful moments of faith and community.
Beyond church, Mackenzie enjoys spending time at the beach, watching sunsets, and attending any kind of sporting event. She has also worked at Target for 13 years where she loves meeting and connecting with new people every day.